Yare~~~
Art meets cuisine at this enigmatic muse's Cantonese restaurant on the North Shore
Sydney has yet another stunning Cantonese offer for when the mood strikes which, to be fair, could be breakfast, lunch or dinner any day of the week. The latest addition to the killer Asian dining scene is Jinja in Macquarie Park. Jinja is named for owner and entrepreneur, local Sydney legend Jinghua (more often dubbed “Jinja” due to her obsession with ginger spice), the muse of Sydney-based artist Ronnie Samuels, whose paintings pepper the restaurant space.
Leaning hard into food-meets-style, Jinja is all about super traditional dishes like gentle steamed market fish with shallots and, of course, ginger, as well as a few less conventional numbers like lobster san choy bao, truffled spring rolls, and prawn mousse fried brioche.
Thanks to the eccelctic design of architecture firm Archebiosis, the interior brings together old world Shanghai, as well as colonial Hong Kong and a little modern Beijing for good measure. Intricate russet-hued parquetry flooring, sheets of floral wallpaper and exposed red brick are offset by shining neon signs and curved red velvet booths. Head chef Sebastian Tan (Silks) and specialty chef Kushal Lama (Hakkasan) head up the kitchen, where they're cranking out a massive 20 dim sum dishes, as well as crisp Peking duck, honey glazed kurobuta pork, and wagyu and asparagus fried rice.
It wouldn't be a Chinese restaurant without a tea service and Jinja is bringing the goods, with a dedicated tea ceremony dispensary to get you feeling all kinds of zen. Once you've reached a place of inner peace, dive into the expansive wine selection. There are over 100 bottles on offer, ranging from Burgundy to the Barossa as well as top-shelf Champagnes.